


Knock, knock, knockin'... some sense into a hacker

by DontmesswithPeanuts



Category: Person of Interest (TV)
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Established Relationship, F/F, Hurt/Comfort, Spanking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-03
Updated: 2016-03-23
Packaged: 2018-05-24 13:56:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,273
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6155848
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DontmesswithPeanuts/pseuds/DontmesswithPeanuts
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Root is acting needlessly reckless. Shaw tries to knock some sense into her – literally.</p><p>Set sometime after Shaw’s rescue from Samaritan‘s claws.</p><p>Warning: This story contains the description of a semi consensual spanking of an adult. So: Don‘t like, don’t read!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Gun shot wounds. Never fun.

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, guys. This is my first attempt at writing fanfiction for the brilliant TV show Person of Interest. 
> 
> I especially love the relationship between Root and Shaw, the way they interact and care for each other in their own special way. And so this – somewhat strange – idea popped into my head.
> 
> English isn’t my first language, so please excuse any mistakes I made. Feedback is welcome.

* * *

 

 

„Root!“

  
The hacker heard Sameen Shaw shouting her name and saw the former ISA agent running towards her, kneecapping their assailants – six in number – on her way without really looking.

  
Root smiled a little at this sight. After Team Machine had rescued Shaw from Samaritan after her months long captivity the hacker had feared that the Persian woman would be distant, acting like the kiss at the Stock Exchange didn’t mean a thing.  
And at first Shaw had indeed withdrawn into herself, fearing that Samaritan had done something to her to use her against her friends. She’d kept her distance, especially from Root, and it had hurt the hacker. Deeply.

  
But after a while Sameen had realized, that she was no threat to the people around her. At least not because of something Samaritan had done to her. And so, while recovering from the physical and emotional torture Samaritan’s henchmen had put her through, Shaw had searched for Root’s proximity.

  
And Root had given her what she needed, had shown her in her own special way that she would be there for her, that she would protect her, at any and every cost. With her help Shaw had adapted back into the real world over time, eventually leading to the fact that the both of them were now doing missions together again. It was like the old times – except for the tiny difference that Root and Shaw were in a committed relationship now.

  
Samaritan was not destroyed yet, and after Harold and Root had rebuilt the Machine the war between the two AIs raged on. But Sameen was back in the game. And seeing her kicking ass and shooting bad guys again? _Really hot._

  
_Well, this is my girl_ , Root thought. But then her smile turned into a groan as she was painfully reminded of her current situation. The former killer for hire pressed a hand against her side where a bullet had lodged in her body. Burning pain radiated through her torso and Root let out a ragged gasp as she let herself sink down along the side of the wall.

  
As often as she‘d been shot in the past the hacker would never get used to the pain caused by a gun shot wound. It was searing and let her eyes water. She frantically attempted to blink away the tears, refusing to let them fall. The Machine was chattering in her ear, flooding her with data regarding her chance of survival. The only thing Root could comprehend at the moment was that at least she wouldn’t die – yet. _Well, thanks for that._

  
„Root.“

  
Shaw was now kneeling in front of her girlfriend, ignoring the injured men around them. To an outsider the former ISA operative‘s facial expression was as stoic as ever but, despite the edges of her vision being slightly foggy with the pain that radiated from her side, Root saw the worry in her eyes.

  
„Thanks for the backup, Sweetie“, the hacker said, a hint of a smile on her face despite the blood seeping through her shirt rapidly.

  
„This wouldn’t have been necessary if you just would‘ve waited for me“, Shaw growled while she was assessing the damage the bullet had done to Root’s body with the trained eye of a medical expert. Glancing up at the Persian woman the hacker could see Shaw’s jaw clench in anger. _Uh oh._

  
„Bullet’s still lodged inside. It doesn’t seem like it hit anything major, but you’re loosing too much blood.“ In one swift move Shaw took of her coat and pressed it against Root’s wound to staunch the bleeding, causing her girlfriend to wince and whimper in pain. _God, this sucks._

  
Despite seeing stars and black dots before her eyes Root shook her head. „If I had waited Cooper and his arms dealer friends probably would have made a run for it.“

  
„So better _not_ wait and taking a bullet“, Shaw deadpanned.

  
„Well, I didn’t plan on getting shot“, Root replied through gritted teeth. If she was honest to herself the Machine had warned her that her cover might have been blown. But she’d taken the risk – resulting in a hole in her side.

  
Shaw shook her head. „I told you to wait“, she insisted without looking at Root, and there was something in her voice the hacker couldn’t quite decipher.

  
It wasn’t the first time Root had been shot, _hell no_ , Sameen herself had shot her once. The tiny scar on her left shoulder being a solid reminder of that. And it wasn’t the first time she‘d put her life on the line. They all did, to save innocent people and for the greater good. _So, where‘s the problem?_

  
„Yea, you did, but-“

  
„But nothing!“ Shaw suddenly interrupted, eyes blazing with anger trained at her girlfriend, causing Root to swallow. Hard. _Okay, someone’s pissed._

  
„If you would only _one time_ do as you’re told you maybe wouldn’t be lying on the floor right now _fucking bleeding_!“ The former ISA agent hissed in anger and pressed the wadded cloth, now soaked with Root’s blood, harder against the hacker’s side. To stem the bleeding more effectively or to punish her, Root didn’t know. _Maybe both._

  
The taller woman gasped, both in pain and in surprise of Shaw’s sudden outburst. „I-“

  
„ _Shut up_ “, Shaw cut her off again. „We‘ve to get you out of here and patched up. Come on.“

  
„On that we can agree“, Root said through gritted teeth as Shaw helped her to get to her feet. A new wave of pain flooded her body and the feeling of nausea set in. _Gun shot wounds. Never fun._

  
Shaw eyed the blood soaked piece of clothing, still pressed against the hacker’s side, darkly. „If I don’t get your blood out of my coat, Root-“

  
„Yea, I know. You’ll kick my ass.“ The hacker gave a light smirk at her girlfriends threat. Then the black dots before her eyes returned. _Little fuckers._

  
„But before we have all this fun“, Root uttered with noticable difficulty, „Could you please… catch me?“ Then the world around her turned black.

 

\----------

 

Sameen Shaw only had a second to register that her girlfriend was passing out, then Root’s body collapsed right beside her. Shaw caught her as best she could, sinking down to her knees with the hacker‘s dead weight in her arms.

  
„ _Dammit_ , Root“, the ex-ISA operative muttered. „Now’s not the time to take a nap.“ She tapped her girlfriend’s pale cheek lightly a few times, then, as she got no reaction, once more with more force.

  
„C‘mon, wake up“, Shaw demanded, but she received nothing but a mild whimper in response.

  
_Heavy blood loss is usually accompanied by shock and can lead to unconsciousness. If not treated soon the results can be severe hypotension and hypoxia and eventually – death._ Shaw shook her head lightly. Why did she remember the exact words her professor used in one of her first medical lectures right now?

  
The tiny Persian growled at the unconscious woman in her arms. „Great. Now I have to drag your ass out of here.“ _Please, Root, don’t die on me, okay?_

  
Muttering angrily Shaw struggled to put Root into a fireman’s carry. The hacker didn’t weigh much, but she was taller than her girlfriend, and so it took Shaw a few tries before she could place Root over her shoulder, the hacker oblivious of everything that happened.

  
Securing her girlfriend’s slender body with one hand and holding her gun with the other Shaw slowly crossed the warehouse towards the exit, leaving the kneecapped men behind. Root’s dead weight was heavy on her shoulders and Shaw silently thanked her drill sergeant in the Marine Corps for his tough training. _Seems like carrying sandbags across a barrack yard comes in handy at least._

  
With every step she took Shaw felt more of Root’s blood seeping through the fabric of her shirt, where the hacker’s injured side came in contact with the smaller agent’s shoulder. Shaw intensified her grip on her girlfriend‘s body.

  
„You know that I’ll kick your ass when we’re home, right?“ she muttered despite the fact that Root was still unconscious and most likely couldn’t hear her.

  
_Please hang on, Root._

 

\----------

 

Pain.

  
It was the first thing Root noticed, when she came to. But not the searing pain she’d felt earlier while the bullet still had been stuck in her body. No, this pain was more dull. Nevertheless it still radiated through the right side of her torso, sending schock waves up her spine at regular intervals.

  
The second thing the hacker noticed was the hand holding her own. _Well, that‘s new._

  
Slowly Root opened her eyes and turned her head slightly, holding back a groan while doing so.

  
„I take _one_ bullet and you’re going soft on me, Sameen?“ she said with a light smirk, looking at their intertwined hands pointedly, then eyeing the dark haired agent sitting on a chair beside the bed. They were in the bedroom of their apartment they called home for a few months now.

  
One year ago Sameen Shaw would have withdrawn her hand and snapped at Root for the comment. But the Sameen Shaw, who sat at her girlfriend‘s side now, didn’t. Some things had changed after the events at the stock exchange and Shaw’s captivity by Samaritan. And it wasn’t just the fact that Root and her were in a committed relationship now. Something the former ISA agent would have never thought possible. Because she _didn’t_ do relationships.

  
Except now she _did_. And this new version of Sameen Shaw also did hold her girlfriend’s hand after she’d been shot. Obviously.

  
„If you tell anybody I’ll kill you“, Shaw threatened grimly, but continued to hold Root’s hand on the bed.

  
„Sure thing, Sweetie“, the hacker responded with a mild smirk. She squeezed Sameen’s hand lightly, then slipped out of the hold, trying to pull herself into an upright position on the bed. Shaw quickly rose to her feet, gently pushing Root back down on the mattress.

  
„Easy there, tiger“, Shaw said, „It’s better, if you don’t get up just yet. You might pull your stitches.“

  
Root sighed and let her head fall back on the pillow with a muffled thump, while Shaw resumed her position at the side of the bed. „How long have I been out?“ the hacker asked, her voice sounding groggy.

  
„About three hours“, Shaw told her. „You lost a lot of blood.“ She sighed. „You passed out and I had to drag you out of there. Brought you home, removed the bullet, stitched you up and gave you a blood transfusion. Oh, and I called Fusco to arrest our arms dealer friends.“

  
Root slowly pushed up her shirt a little to let her fingers glide over the bandage on the right side of her torso. „Thanks“, she whispered. Only then she noticed the small band-aid on the crook of her arm too. She wrinkled her eyebrows in confusion. „You’re AB positive. So where’d you get the right blood type for me?“

  
The smaller woman shrugged her shoulders. „Remember our last number at the hospital?“

  
Root nodded.

  
„I borrowed some units of blood from them. Stored it up in the fridge. Thought it would come in handy. And it did.“

  
The hacker just looked at her girlfriend dumbfounded. „You keep blood units in our fridge? What’s this? Vampire Diaries?“

  
Shaw knitted her brows at the question. „Okay, first: How did you not notice the blood units stored in the fridge? And second: You don’t mind the grenades in our fridge, but a few blood bags freak you out?“

  
Root just kept staring at Shaw with a dumb expression on her face, the painkillers her girlfriend must have given her making it hard for her brain to follow. _We have grenades in our fridge? Huh._

  
„Anyway“, the former ISA operative continued after a small pause, „You’re lucky I stored the blood, `cause you seem to have the unfortunate tendency to take bullets everywhere you go these days.“

  
Root didn’t like where this was going. „Sameen…“

  
Shaw ignored her and just kept speaking. „Which leads me to the question: Do you have a death wish, _you idiot_?“ The smaller agent had been quiet the whole time, but now her barely suppressed anger showed and the hacker winced at her girlfriend’s reproachful sound.

  
„No…“, Root answered quietly.

  
„No? `Cause it surely looks like it to me.“ Shaw got up from her seat and began pacing by the bed, clearly pissed.

  
Root just stared at her for a moment and tried to get rid of the cobwebs in her mind. _Damn these painkillers._

  
„Can we… can we just have this conversation at another time?“

  
Shaw just flashed her an angry look. „No. We’re having this conversation right now!“

  
Root swallowed hard. It had been a while since Shaw had raised her voice at her. „Wha-what do you want me to say? I’ve done my job. Getting hurt while doing so is nothing new to both of us.“

  
The former ISA operative shook her head. „What you did back there wasn’t getting the job done. It was reckless! You‘d put your life in danger-“

  
„Oh! This is rich“, Root interrupted, slowly getting agitated herself, „Coming from the person, who ran into a hail of bullets willingly to save her friends.“

  
Shaw shot her an irate look. „That was different. And you know that. You put you life in danger _needlessly_ today! And not for the first time.“

  
Root snorted. „Well, you can’t blame me for not wanting this arms dealers to get away, Shaw.“

  
The smaller agent ran a hand over her own face in frustration. „Obviously you don’t get it.“

  
„Well, then enlighten me, `cause I don’t want to die dumb“, Root answered, her voice dripping with sarcasm. In the next moment she could see Shaw clenching the fingers of her right hand into a fist in reaction, looking throughoutly pissed now. _Note to brain: Provocate a trained operative, who could kill you with a paper clip in twelve different ways, while you’re lying on the bed with a gunshot wound – not a good idea._

  
Root suddenly felt very vulnerable and defenseless. But Shaw wouldn’t punch her in her injured state. _Would she?_

  
To the hacker’s luck Shaw didnt‘ punch her but answered, calmer than before: „We’re a team now, Root. And on this team no one gets to risk their life unnecessarily.“ _Escpecially not you._ She sighed. „If you would have waited for me today you maybe wouldn‘ t be lying on the bed now with a fuckin‘ gunshot wound.“ _I could‘ve lost you today._

  
Root swallowed again, Shaw’s words affecting her more than she would have liked. But then again her stubbornness won and she shrugged her shoulders, lightly because of the dull pain still radiating through her torso. „I’ve had worse. You know that.“

  
Shaw shook her head in anger and frustration, still pacing by the bed. How could someone be this stubborn? It reminded her of – well, herself.

  
„ _Dammit_ , Root! I’m sick of you diving into life threatening situations recklessly. Do you have no consideration for your own life? If the arms dealer today wouldn’t have been such a bad shooter…“ She trailed of, looking into her girlfriend’s eyes directly.

„And I’m not just talking about the stunt you pulled _today_. I saw the footage of the little game you played with the Machine.“

  
Root’s eyes widened. _Harold, you little…_

  
„Playing chicken with an AI? Really, Root? You have to be _fuckin‘ kidding_ me!“ Shaw scolded.

  
The hacker couldn’t help it. „Well, about the fucking part…“, she replied with a small smirk.

  
„Root!“

  
The taller woman rolled her eyes and sighed. „I did it to find you, Sameen.“ _And I would do it again._

  
The former ISA operative nodded. „Yea, I know. And don’t think I’m not thankfull. But if you ever do something like this again, put your life at risk purposefully by being unnecessarily reckless…“

  
„Yea, Sameen, I know. You’ll kick my ass“, Root said.

  
Shaw shook her head. „No.“

  
The hacker contracted her brows. „No?“ _Huh. That‘s new._

  
„No“, Sameen explained, „If we ever have this kind of conversation again I’ll bend you over my knee and _spank_ your ass.“

  
Root’s eyes widened at this once more and she was having a hard time swallowing the sudden lump in her throat. She and Sameen had tried a little spanking during their sexy times and it had definitively aroused her.

  
„Sounds kinky“, she quipped suggestively, but couldn’t hide the insecurity in her voice entirely.

  
Root liked a little pain, they both did. And she could take a few swats, no problem. But it didn’t seem like this was the kind of spanking Shaw had in mind right now.

  
Root swallowed again at the grim stare Shaw sent her. Sameen wouldn’t really _punish_ her with a spanking, would she? _That would definitively hurt. And not in a good way._

  
Shaw laughed humorlessly. „Believe me, when I say that this wouldn’t be the kind of spanking you’d enjoy.“

  
_Thought so._

  
„You wouldn‘t…“ Root trailed of and just stared at her girlfriend in disbelief, for once lost for words.

  
The ex-ISA agent just smirked at the hacker’s unusual speechlessness. _What a rare occurence._ „If you behave you won’t find out, right?“ Ignoring her girlfriend’s visible pout Shaw patted her left shoulder lightly. „Rest now. I’ll look after you later.“ With that the small agent left the bedroom.

  
Root just lay there and stared at the door Shaw just went through.

  
_She wouldn’t… Would she?_


	2. Just hanging around

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the second chapter! It seems that Root can't stay out of trouble for long, can she? ;)
> 
> Like I pointed out before, English isn't my first language. And this story is unbetaed. So please excuse any mistakes I made.
> 
> Feedback is appreciated! :)

 

* * *

 

“I’ll kill her. I‘ll _fucking_ kill her“, Shaw hissed six weeks later while she was running up the stairway of the tumble-down building in Lower Manhattan to which Team Machine had followed their newest number. Jack McBride, fourty-three years old, married, two kids, salesman at day – and serial killer at night.

  
Finch had discovered that their latest number was one of the bad guys only half an hour ago. Reese had been busy at the precinct and Shaw had been tailing another number, so one well-known hacker had been the first to arrive at the building where the Machine had located McBride. And the same wayward hacker had followed this guy up the stairs minutes ago – alone, despite Shaw telling her not to over the comms. Multiple times.

  
And now Root wasn’t answering.

  
And _no_ , Shaw’s rapid heartbeat was just due to the exertion of running up the stairs.

  
And _no_ , she wasn’t worried.

  
Root’s just alone with a _fucking serial killer_. _What could go wrong!?_

  
_“Miss Shaw?“_ Harold’s slightly worried voice came over the comms. _“What’s happening?“_

  
“ _Root_ is happening“, the ex-ISA agent replied, voice seething with anger. “She’s playing catch me if you can with our killer right now.“

  
_“Oh dear.“_

  
“Yea. She’s not answering her comms and I don’t know on which story she-“

  
_“Try the roof, Sweetie“_ , Root’s voice chimed in suddenly, slightly muted.

  
“Root? _Dammit!_ Why didn‘t you answer?“ the tiny dark haired agent asked while sprinting up the stairs leading to the roof now. _And it has to be exactly that one building with twenty-five stories and a broken elevator. Great._

  
_“Interferences“_ , came the reply.

  
“Yea, right.“ Shaw wasn’t convinced. “Stay where you are. I’m coming to you.“

  
_“Worried about me, Sweetie?“_

  
“You wish.“ _When am I not worried about you?_

  
_“Miss Groves“_ , Harold’s voice could be heard over the comms again.

  
_“Hey, Harry.“_

  
_“Miss Groves. Do you have McBride in sight?“_

  
_“Not exactly, Harry.“_

  
“What do you mean with _‚not exactly‘_?“ Shaw chimed in sounding slightly out of breath. _Damn! Why does this building have to have so many stories?_

  
_“Well, I followed him to the roof. Think he wants to get rid of some evidence“_ , the hacker whispered. _“But here’s a lot of rubble in the way. And no cameras. So She‘s blind too. Think I, uhm, lost him.“_

  
“You _what_?“ Shaw snapped. _Okay, I’ll definitively kill her. And then I’ll kick her ass. Well, no, first I’ll kick her ass, then I’ll kill her. Yea, that’s right._

  
_“Miss Groves. May I remind you that our killer has a black belt in Krav Maga and killed at least fourteen women? He’s very dangerous.“_

  
_“Well, so am I, Harry”_ , Root replied. _“And I’m not new to hand-to-hand combat…“_

  
“Just _stay where you are_ , Root“, Shaw ordered angrily. “I’m almost there.“

  
_“Don’t worry, Sweetie. She may be blind at the moment, but there’s a goddess on my side and I have a gu-“_

  
A rattling noise followed by a muted yelp could be heard over the comms.

  
_“Miss Groves!“_

  
“Root?“ _Dammit!_ “Root!“

 

\----------

 

Root was seeing stars right now.

  
Like she’d told Sameen only moments ago, the Machine was blind on the roof. As if this wasn’t bad enough She also had decided to go completely silent without any prior warning. An unpleasant recurring problem since they brought the Machine back online.

  
Without the AI’s help McBride‘s attack had surprised Root. Within a split second the gun had been knocked out of her hand and she’d been punched in the face two times before she even could start to defend herself.

  
Root could hear Sameen calling her name in her ear while blocking another punch aimed at her face. Then the wind was knocked out of her as she took a knee to the gut. _Damn this guy‘s fast. And strong._ After receiving another blow, this time square across the jaw, Root staggered back, bringing some space between her and her opponent and trying to breath through the pain.

  
“It‘s over, McBride“, she told him through clenched teeth, the coppery taste of blood on her tongue. “Better give up now.“

  
The number gave her a murderous look and his cold grey eyes sent a chill down Root’s spine. „Maybe after I killed you, bitch“, he replied, then bridged the disctance between them with a few quick strides and threw another punch at the hacker.

  
This time Root was prepared. She dodged the hit, grabbed the outstretched arm in one swift movement and threw her attacker over her shoulder. Unfortunately, McBride was prepared too. Even as he fell, he grabbed Root’s leather jacket, bringing the tall woman down with him.

  
The hacker landed on her back with a heavy thump. Pain shot up her spine and a groan escaped her throat. _Machine chose a bad moment to go completely silent on me_ , she thought while barely dodging a kick to her ribs.

  
Root wasn’t a novice to hand-to-hand combat, although it sometimes felt like a lifetime ago since Shaw had given the hacker her first lesson in self-defense. She’d already had a few tricks up her sleeve, even before they started their training sessions. But Shaw had taught her how to _really_ fight. They‘d sparred on a regular basis and the tiny Persian hadn’t went easy on her, kicking Root’s ass many times to make sure she could defend herself properly. And she could.

  
But this guy wasn’t as easy to beat as other opponents she had before. This guy definitively knew how to fight. And he was out for blood. _Root’s_ blood.

  
The hacker tried to grab her gun laying on the ground a few feet away, but before she could reach it, she could feel hands grabbing the back of her jacket. Then she was pulled up and her body was slammed face first against a wall. The right side of her head connected with concrete, the impact sending waves of pain through her skull, and Root cried out.

  
The hacker’s vision was foggy when she was roughly turned around. She felt blood trickle down her cheek from a wound at her temple. Her reflexes were slowed by pain and dizziness and Root realized with sudden terror that she was about to loose this fight. _The retired killer for hire killed by a fucking serial killer. How ironic._

  
Root’s life-style might be risky most of the times, but she wasn’t suicidal. _Well, at least not anymore._ After all the shit, she’d been through, getting killed by one fucking average maniac? _Not an option_ , Root decided.

  
With an angry growl, the hacker brought her knee up between her opponent’s legs, causing his grip on her to loosen. Then she socked her attacker on the jaw, trying to break free.

  
However, McBride recovered much faster than Root had anticipated, backhanding her hard. The hacker felt her lip being split open by the force of the blow. Then the number kneed her in the groin and Root doubled over, whimpering. _Fuck! And I’ve always thought this would only hurt when you’re a guy._

  
Immense pain was clouding her mind and made it difficult for the hacker to put up resistance. Therefore, it was easy for the number to grab the front of her jacket and throw Root towards the edge of the roof. She landed on the hard concrete with a yelp, her body rolling over a few times. She came to a halt only a few feet away from the roof’s edge, her attacker right behind her, his intention to kill her very obvious now.

  
As Root looked up, she realized two things then: First, this guy was way better at hand-to-hand than her. And second: There was no enclosure, which could prevent her from a twenty-five stories deep fall.

  
_Fuck! Sameen, where are you?_

 

\----------

 

The noises, which could be heard over the comms, told Shaw that Root was in trouble, big time. _No one gets to kick Root’s ass – besides me_ , the former ISA agent thought grimly while racing up the final stairs. Then she barged through the door leading to the roof, gun drawn.

  
For a moment, Shaw was blinded by the bright sunlight. Breathing heavily, she blinked a few times to clear her vision. A yelp, clearly Root’s voice, made her turn left and then everything seemed to happen in slow motion.

  
Root was laying on the floor, just right at the roof’s edge, trying to get up unsuccessfully. McBride was in front of her, clearly intending to kick her off the roof.

  
Shaw bolted forward and yanked up her gun, aiming.

  
Root’s eyes met hers for a split second – then McBride’s foot collided with the hacker’s jaw and she was thrown back.

  
At the same time one shot rang out, and the lifeless body of the number crumpled to the ground, a bullet stuck in his head.

  
Shaw didn’t feel remorse for killing McBride, she wasn’t wired this way. Finch on the other hand would be sad probably, because she’d broke his no killing rule. _But I did it for Root. Finch will understand._

  
The ex-ISA agent never missed. However, this time the headshot had come a little bit too late.

  
The momentum of the kick McBride had delivered to Root’s head had sent her flying backwards. Her body tumbled across the concrete now.

  
Then over the roof’s edge.

  
_No._

  
Sameen Shaw might not feel emotions like other people did, but she was sure that her heart stopped at this moment. She felt as if all her life had been sucked out of her suddenly.

  
“Root!” Shaw’s desperate cry echoed over the roof.

 _“Miss Shaw! What happened?”_ the ex-ISA operative could her Finch’s worried voice in her ear, but her throat felt constricted and she couldn’t utter a single word right now.

  
_God, no. Please._

  
Shaw could feel her heart racing in her chest, while she rushed to the place Root disappeared only moments ago, the rational part of her telling her that the hacker indeed had toppled over the edge and that the chance of surviving a 270 feet drop would tend to zero. The dark haired agent fell to her knees at the edge of the roof, feeling her chest constrict. _Is this how a panic attack feels?_

  
Silently preparing herself for seeing Root’s shattered body lying on the pavement many feet below, Shaw peered over the edge – and was greeted by a well-known face, around five feet below her.

  
“You know, I love to hang around with you, Sweetie. But, could you help me up? Please?” Root’s voice sounded almost casually, but Shaw could see the fear in her eyes. Understandable, when you’re hanging from a metal pipe, protruding from the side of the building, with nothing but twenty-five stories of air below your feet.

  
“Oh, _thank God_.” Shaw breathed out a sigh of relief. _This maniac clearly has more luck than judgement._ “Finch? McBride’s dead, but we’re okay.”

  
_“Thank God”_ , Harold replied, sounding relieved.

  
“Yea. But Root’s hanging from the side of the building.”

  
_“What? Oh my God. Mr. Reese is on his way, Miss Shaw.”_

  
“Can’t wait for him, Finch”, the tiny Persian answered. “I’ve to pull her up myself.”

  
_“Miss Shaw, you-”_

  
“Turning off the comms now, Harold. Don’t worry, I got this.” _Well, I hope so._

  
_“Miss Sha-”_

  
Sameen tapped her earpiece once and Finch’s voice was cut off. She didn’t want to be rude, but she had to focus on getting her girlfriend back to safety. And having an anxious Finch in your hear didn’t help the case.

  
The former ISA operative peered over the edge again. “Hold on, Root, okay?”

  
The hacker gave a humourless laugh. “Well, what _else_ should I do?”

  
“I get you up”, Sameen assured her. “Just give me a minute. And don’t let go of this _fucking pipe_!”

  
“Trying to, Sweetie”, Root replied, the effort of holding her own weight for so long clearly noticeable in her voice.

  
With a grim nod, Shaw got up to her feet, searching the roof frantically for a rope or something like that.

  
The problem was that the tiny Persian couldn’t reach the hacker from the roof properly. The distance between was too wide and Shaw knew that she would risk both of their lives, if she tried to get her girlfriend up without securing.

  
_Okay, between all this rubble there has to be a rope somewhere. You just have to find it, Sameen. Fast._

 

\----------

 

Meanwhile Root desperately clutched to the pipe. She knew that it had been pure luck that she’s alive still. She’d survived many dangerous situations, but that didn’t mean she was above fear. She didn’t need the Machine to calculate her chances of survival to know that she most likely would resemble a smashed pumpkin after a drop from this height. _What a way to go._

  
The hacker swallowed hard, her heart thudding from the slowly fading adrenaline rush. The strain on her arms was nearly unbearable now. She could hear the dulled sounds of the traffic so many feet below her. Swallowing hard again, Root reminded herself not to look down. Fear made her hands sweaty and she felt that she couldn’t hold on for long. _God, I don’t wanna die. Not like this. Not now._ Not when Sameen was back in her life finally.

  
If the situation wasn’t so serious the hacker maybe would’ve laughed. It seemed like a lifetime ago that she’d played chicken with the Machine, blackmailing Her with the life of her Analog Interface into helping her to find Sameen. She’d been desperate and willing to risk a deadly drop from the building then.

But that had been different circumstances. Now her life was in danger just because of her own recklessness. If she’d waited a few minutes more, like Sameen had asked her to…

  
_Oh boy, she’ll totally kick my ass. Well, if I’m not dying before._

  
“Root.”

  
Sameen’s voice made Root look up. The tiny Persian’s torso was hanging over the edge of the building slightly.

  
“Sameen, what are you _doing_?” the hacker asked, clearly concerned.

  
“Saving your ass”, came Shaw’s reply. “Don’t worry. Unlike you I’m secured with a rope.”

  
It was pure luck that she’d found a rope long enough to serve her purpose. _Seems like today luck’s on our side_ , Shaw thought.

  
One end of the rope the ex-ISA agent had secured to a breaker box on the roof, then she had attached part of it around her own waist. After tying the rope’s other end into a loop, she dropped it over the edge. _Okay, now comes the hard part._

  
“You have to get the loop around your waist”, Shaw told the hacker.

  
Root let out a shaky breath, realizing she had to let go of the pipe with one hand at a time to do so. “Sameen…”

  
“ _Stop whining and do as I say_ ”, came Shaw’s harsh reply.

  
The taller agent swallowed again, trying to get a grip on her fear. “Okay”, she muttered under her breath. “Easy as pie.” She let go of the pipe with her left hand, grabbing the rope loop, her whole body weight suddenly straining her right arm. _Damn. That hurts._

  
“Okay, now the other one”, Shaw instructed from above.

  
Root didn’t know how she did it, but a few agonizing moments later she actually had secured the loop around her waist, breathing heavily and sweat streaming down her neck. The muscles in her arms trembled, but at least she wouldn’t fall to certain death now, if she’d lose her grip on the pipe.

  
Shaw let go of a breath she didn’t knew she was holding. “Well done. Now you have to pull yourself up on the pipe.”

  
The hacker looked up at her partner, an incredulous look on her face. “I have to do _what_?”

  
Sameen shook her head. “You didn’t thought I would pull you up by the rope myself, did you?” The tiny Persian sighed. “Sorry, but I can’t do that in this position. I’ve nothing to hold onto. The rope’s just there to prevent us both from an ugly death. So, you have to get yourself up _on_ the pipe, so I can reach you”, the dark haired agent explained.

  
Five feet below her Root groaned in frustration.

  
“ _Hey!_ What did I tell you about whining?” Shaw bellowed. “Now _get a grip_ and do a pull-up!”

  
Despite her hanging in mid-air Root thought that Sameen going all drill instructor on her was incredibly sexy. A discovery she would save for later, because now she had other problems at hand.

  
Exerting her last bith of strength, the hacker did a pull-up, the muscles in her arms and torso trembling badly. Finally, she managed to heft herself up onto the metal pipe, thankful for her regular workout routine. Balancing on the pipe Root grabbed at the edge of the roof. _Thank Goddess, that I put on sneakers today._

  
Grabbing her girlfriend by one arm and the back of her jacket Shaw pulled her up on the roof with a last effort. Both of them collapsed onto the ground afterwards, laying side by side, breathing heavily.

  
After a moment, Shaw tapped her earpiece. “Finch? I’ve got her. Root’s safe.”

  
_“Oh thank God”_ , Harold exclaimed, sounding relieved.

  
“Well, I don’t think God has much to do with it, Harold. At least not a _certain one_ ”, the Persian agent replied, referring to the Machine.

  
Shaw didn’t get Finch’s answer, because she suddenly was distracted by Root’s hand squeezing hers. Still lying on the ground, she turned her head and met the hacker’s gaze, Root’s eyes shining with unshed tears and a broad range of emotions. Most of them Shaw knew she would never feel, at least not in the way other people did. _People like Root._

  
However, the look on her girlfriend’s face, that was something Sameen was familiar with. She’d seen it before, on soldiers and agents, who barely escaped the grim reaper. The look you get, when you realize quite clearly that you’re not invincible and that your life could be cut short at any moment. Seemed like Root got an impressive reminder of that fact today.

  
“Thank you”, the hacker whispered, still struggling to get her breathing back to normal.

  
Shaw hummed in response, then she got to her feet. She held out her hand and Root took it, letting Sameen drag her to her feet.

  
Once standing, although shakily, the hacker was met with her girlfriend’s grim expression.

  
“You and I will have a _serious talk_ when we get home. A _real_ serious talk”, Shaw promised darkly. Then she got rid of the rope around her waist and stomped away.

  
Root stared after her, swallowing hard.

  
_Crap. I’m screwed._


	3. I see trouble on the way

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Took me some time to write this chapter, but here it is! Shaw and Root having their serious "talk"...
> 
> Have fun reading! Feedback is welcome! :)

 

* * *

 

“You’re in big trouble, you know that?”

  
Reese’s voice startled Root, and she looked up to find the former CIA agent standing right beside her. Obviously, the hacker had been so lost in thought that she hadn’t heard him coming. She shifted slightly on the seat she had plopped herself on half an hour ago at the Subway Station.

  
“Pointing out the obvious. Well done, Lurch”, Root replied, a hefty dose of sarcasm in her voice.

  
Reese just raised an eyebrow at her.

  
The hacker sighed. She had no reason to snap at Reese. She only had herself to blame for the mess she was in. “Sorry, John. I’m just… tired”, Root murmured and pushed some strands of hair out of her face.

  
“Understandable”, came the reply.

  
The hacker looked over to the subway car, where Finch and Sameen were engaged in a discussion, probably about why Fusco, once again, had to clean up the mess they’d left behind. However, this time he would have to find a good explanation why the dead body of a serial killer was lying on a roof top in New York with a bullet in his brain, instead of arresting kneecapped arms dealers. _Poor Lionel._

  
Root sighed again. Troughout the whole car ride back to the station Shaw hadn’t uttered a single word, besides the _‘Shut up’_ , when Root had tried to start a conversation. Back at the subway, the Persian agent had cleaned the hacker’s head injury. Luckily, she hadn’t needed stitches, and Shaw simply had put a butterfly bandage over the wound. The former medic also had checked her for signs of a concussion, which thankfully she didn’t have. Shaw’s barely surpressed anger had been noticeable the whole time, and Root had been smart enough to keep quiet. However, Shaw had promised her a _serious talk_. And Root wasn’t looking forward to it.

  
“She’s gonna rip my head off”, muttered the hacker.

  
Reese nodded. “Looks like it.”

  
Root grimaced. “Wow. You _really_ know how to cheer someone up, don’t you?”

  
The former CIA agent ignored the biting sarcasm. “Can’t blame her for being angry. I mean, going all kamikaze on that roof? What were you thinking?”

  
_Not much_. _Obviously_. Root rolled her eyes. “You’re the one to talk.”

  
Reese shrugged. “Well, I’m not the one being in a relationship with an angry and dangerous woman.”

  
The hacker grimaced at that again. _Yes, I’m screwed. Thanks for reminding me._

  
After a pause, Reese added, “You scared her today, you know?”

  
Root’s brows furrowed at that. “ _Shaw? Scared?_ ” She snorted. “You sure we’re talking ‘bout the _same_ Sameen Shaw?”

  
Reese shrugged his shoulders again. “You don’t have to believe me, Root. But I’ve seen Shaw today. She may not even know it herself, but she was scared. For you. Because she cares.”

  
The hacker stared at Reese silently for a moment. _Sameen doesn’t do scared. Angry, yes. But scared?_

  
“I-I know she cares, but…” Root swallowed what she’d wanted to say, because Shaw left the subway car at that moment, petting Bear shortly on her way out. Then she marched towards the hacker, anger still blazing in her eyes. With a short _“Let’s go”_ she headed towards the subway’s exit, clearly expecting the hacker to follow her.

  
Root swallowed, hard, and got up. She felt Reese patting her shoulder lightly.

  
_Time to face the music._

 

\----------

 

The car ride back to their apartment was silent. Shaw was brooding behind the wheel and Root was riding shotgun, staring out of the window quietly. Eventually they were back at their place and Shaw closed the door behind them.

  
“Sameen…”, the hacker started, turning around to face her girlfriend, but Shaw cut her off.

  
“Go. Take a shower.”

  
“What?” Root asked slightly confused.

  
Shaw rolled her eyes. “You’re completely drenched in sweat. And there’s dirt and blood on your clothes”, she explained, taking in the hacker’s disheveled appearance. “You’ll feel better after a shower”, she added more gently after a moment.

  
Root couldn’t argue with that. Nodding once, she headed towards the bathroom, grabbing a few spare clothes from the bedroom drawer on her way.

  
The tiny Persian waited until her girlfriend had closed the bathroom door behind her, then let out a long frustrated sigh. Closing her eyes for a moment, Shaw ran a hand over her face. _This fucking maniac will be the death of me_ , she thought, shaking her head slowly.

  
Since their first meeting the ex-ISA agent had been drawn between the urge to kiss the crazy hacker or to punch her senseless. Well, she’d done both. And since they were a couple there’d been essentially more kissing (and other related things), and much less punching. However, today had been one of these days Shaw had been itching to smack Root silly.

  
Their job was dangerous most of the times, and they all knew it. All of them were willing to take chances for the greater good, to save innocent people. _Hell yes_ , even the dog would agree to that, if he would possess self-reflection.

  
But risking one’s own life like Root had done today? _Stupid._ The hacker had done some crazy and dangerous shit in the past, and Shaw had to admit, that most of it had impressed her. But diving into a dangerous situation, when you could’ve waited for backup, nearly getting killed in the process? _Not impressive._

  
If someone had told Shaw a few years ago that she would feel scared one day, she would have laughed at that ridiculous thought. And would’ve kicked the person’s ass, maybe. However, seeing Root topple over the edge of the building today, on her way to certain death, thinking she’d lost her…

  
_Well, seems like I can get scared_ , Shaw mused. Apparently, this kid, Genrika, had been right. The volume was turned way down, but the feelings were there. _And Root’s the one to trigger them all at once._

  
Shaw sighed, plunking herself down onto the dark brown couch in the living room. She then pulled her gun from the waistband of her jeans and began to clean it while waiting for Root to finish her shower.

  
Despite her desire to punch her girlfriend for being a totally reckless moron and scaring the shit out of her, Shaw knew she wouldn’t do _that_. She didn’t know why, but somehow it didn’t feel right. (Although she’d punched Root at least once in the past.) Nevertheless, Shaw _would_ knock some sense into her crazy little hacker. Literally. And she knew an effective way to do that.

 

\----------

 

Around twenty minutes later Root returned to the living room, freshly showered and dressed in slightly loose black sweatpants and a plain grey T-shirt. Her chestnut waves were towel dried and pulled into a loose low ponytail with a few stray strands falling out, framing her face. The split in her lower lip had begun to scab over already. A dark bruise was forming on her right cheek, a second, smaller one, on her jaw, visible reminders of the beating she took earlier.

  
The hacker’s gaze fell onto the gun in Sameen’s hands. “You’re going to shoot me now?” she asked, the implied joke not quite hiding her nervousness.

  
“Seems like a good idea to me”, Shaw deadpanned, glaring at the taller woman. She then put the gun down on the coffee table in front of her forcefully.

  
Root winced at that, and pulled her lower lip between her teeth. “Sameen…”

  
“Six weeks.”

  
The hacker furrowed her brows in confusion. “Uhm. What?”

  
Her girlfriend glared at her. “ _Six weeks_ ”, she repeated. “That’s how long it took for you to get into trouble again.” She shook her head. “Your gunshot wound has only just healed.”

  
“I-I had to-”

  
“ _Come on_ , Root”, Shaw cut her off harshy, getting up from the couch, rolling her eyes. “Don’t tell me, you had to do your job. Because you know _damn well_ that’s not the truth.”

  
“ _Oh well_. And _what’s_ the truth then?” the hacker asked with false sweetness in her voice, feeling her own temper to flare up.

  
The former ISA agent narrowed her brows in anger at Root’s sudden cockiness. “Mh, let’s see”, she said, feigning contemplation. “Maybe that you can’t obey orders? That you can’t play with the other kids at the playground well? That you went all lone wolf, again, just to get your _ass kicked_ in the end?” the angry Persian listed while making her way towards her girlfriend with quick strides.

  
Root swallowed, but kept her ground as Shaw got in her personal space. The Persian agent might have been smaller than her hacker girlfriend, but she was awfully intimidating when angry. A fact Root found simultaneously scary and sexy. And the way Sameen’s carotid artery pulsated when she was in rage mode was somehow mesmerizing… _Okay. Focus, Root…_

  
Shaw was glaring daggers at the hacker, planting herself in front of Root threateningly. “Did I forget something?” the former ISA agent asked, rhetorically. “Oh, well. _Yes_ ”, she said, feigning sudden realization. “Maybe the fact that you nearly got yourself _killed_ out there today, you _idiot_!”

  
Root winced at Sameen’s shouting. She opened her mouth to say something, anything. But Sameen wasn’t done yet.

  
“You were _stupid_ and _fucking reckless_! And you _know_ that!” the smaller agent barked furiously, grabbing the front of Root’s shirt roughly with both hands, getting into the hacker’s face.

  
The taller woman could feel the angry heat radiate off the Persian, and she had to swallow. Hard. She knew she’d messed up, and she didn’t have the energy to argue any longer. _A near death experience’s really exhausting._ Swallowing her pride and staring at Sameen with wide brown eyes, Root whispered, “You’re right. I-I’m sorry.”

  
Shaw held her gaze for a moment, eyes dark with anger still. She nodded then, once, replying, “Well, you’ll be _really_ sorry after I’m through with you.”

  
Expecting a punch or something like that, Root furrowed her brows in confusion when Shaw’s hands went to the waistband of the hacker’s sweatpants, roughly loosening the knot in the drawstring cord, which held the piece of clothing in place. _What the…?_

  
“You know, uhm, I like having angry sex with you, Sameen. But the last time you nearly broke my tailbone, so…” Trying to sound confident and failing miserably, the hacker trailed off.

  
Shaw gave a short humorless laugh as she pulled Root towards the couch by the front of her shirt, going backwards herself. “I assure you, this has nothing to do with sex.”

  
The hacker let herself being dragged around by Shaw, simply because she was too exhausted and too confused to fight back. _Okay. No sex. Too bad._ “Then wha-?“

  
Root didn’t get to finish her question, because in the next moment Shaw had plopped down on the couch, pulling the surprised hacker down with her in a single, fluid move. A split second later Root found herself bend over Sameen’s left leg, her upper body resting on the couch’s seating surface. Trying to get back up instinctively, she’s pushed back into position quickly by her girlfriend’s hand, pressing down between her shoulder blades. _What the hell…?_

  
“Remember what I promised you after the stunt you pulled in that warehouse a few weeks ago?” Shaw asked, her voice dangerously low.

  
Root’s throat suddenly felt dry, her pulse skittering into a gallop. The Machine still wasn’t talking to her, but she didn’t need Her to remind her of the exact words Sameen had used. They echoed in her mind loud and clearly right now. _Uh oh…_

  
The hacker swallowed. “Sameen, _please_ …”

  
The former ISA operative couldn’t suppress a slight smirk at Root’s whining voice. _Not so perky anymore, huh?_ “I take that as a yes”, Shaw simply stated. Then she grabbed the waistband of the hacker’s pants and pulled them down to mid thigh unceremoniously.

  
“Oh, _come on_! I’m not a _child_ ”, Root complained, struggling to break free one more time, failing. Shaw’s left arm was wrapped around her waist, her grip like steel. The hacker realized that she wouldn’t leave the unfortunate position she was in, unless the angry Persian decided to let her up. _Damn._ Root kicked at the floor with the toe of one boot, nervous and frustrated at the same time.

  
“No. You’re not”, Shaw agreed. “A child usually does something stupid and doesn’t know better. But you _do_ know better.” She shrugged. “That’s _worse_.”

  
Root grimaced at the anger and disappointment in Shaw’s voice. Okay, she’d messed up. Big time. And yes, she maybe deserved some sort of punishment. _But a spanking?_

  
The hacker sighed. “Can’t you just… punch me?”

  
The former ISA agent shook her head slightly at Root’s suggestion. “I think you’ve been hit in the face enough for today.”

  
The hacker wouldn’t argue with that, but she wouldn’t go as far as agreeing on a spanking being the preferable alternative to getting punched in the face. However, Root knew she’d fucked up, and she honestly felt guilty about it.

  
She might be teasing Shaw, constantly pushing all her buttons, loving the way her little firecracker reacted, with a mix of annoyance and affection. It felt like provoking a wild animal most of the time, testing how far you could go, until it pounced on you. Root had to admit that she got a kick out of this. But Sameen being genuinely furious and, much worse, disappointed with her? _That_ was something the hacker couldn’t stand for long in fact.

  
So, if smacking her meant that Shaw could blow off a little steam and, hopefully, forgive her afterwards, then Root would accept the punishment. She knew that Sameen was offering her a chance to regain her trust and respect, and the hacker wasn’t about to refuse it just because her pride might suffer a few blows. Or several. Besides, there was no way she could get up anyway…

  
Letting go of a breath, Root hung her head, silently awaiting the punishing blows Shaw would dish out at any moment. She wasn’t a coward, after all; she could do this.

  
The former ISA operative tightened her grip around Root’s waist some more, anchoring her to her thigh. She was determined to teach her girlfriend a lesson. And it would be a painful one. Despite the hacker’s seeming acceptance of the punishment, Shaw knew that she would try to get up eventually. Spanking her girlfriend might seem a bit unorthodox, but given the state Root was in, it seemed like a fitting way to knock some sense into her, without harming her too much.

  
Looking down at the woman bent over her knee, Shaw had some sort of déjà vu. She’d spanked the hacker before, but for different reasons. This time she wouldn’t smack Root to spice up their sex life.

  
Nevertheless, the former ISA agent couldn’t deny, that she found the sight of the hacker’s lean body laying over her knee slightly arousing. Therefore, she decided against pulling Root’s underwear down, the black boyshorts staying in place. The visible parts of the hacker’s thighs alone, well-toned and creamy white, were enough to distract Shaw for a moment. _Get your mind out of the gutter, Sameen. This is about punishment_ , she thought, shaking her head.

  
“You know how the saying goes: This will hurt me more than it hurts you”, Shaw said while rasing her right hand, hearing her girlfriend inhaling sharply.

  
“Well, you know it’s a lie”, she added, just before her palm cracks against the curve of Root’s ass. Hard.

  
“Ow! _Shit_ ”, the hacker gasped, sucking her breath as another blow landed, then another, stinging heat blossoming beneath the thin fabric of her panties. Determined to take her punishment bravely, Root bit her lip as Shaw’s hand fell into a steady, even rhythm.

  
As a kid, back in Bishop, Root rarely had been punished, when she’d messed up, let alone spanked. Her mother had been too sick most of the time to rein her daughter in, and the few smacks, she’d received on rare occasions, hadn’t hurt at all. Later, as an adult, Root had found out that she kinda enjoyed pain. And when Shaw had bent her over during one of their bedroom activities and had whacked her ass, the hacker had been convinced she’d found paradise. A very _kinky_ paradise, indeed.

  
Sure, the smacks had hurt, and Root had been sore for days afterwards, but in a _good way_. However, the spanking she received at the very moment was a completely different story. It was pure punishment, and Shaw didn’t hold back this time.

  
Root wasn’t trained to withstand torture like Sameen was, but she _did_ have a high pain threshold. She’d survived gun shot wounds, a rollercoaster ride of barbiturates and amphetamines, and a stapedectomy without anesthesia. She’d been kicked, punched and tasered, and she’d came through just fine.

  
However, right now a simple spanking brought tears to Root’s eyes, and the hacker frantically tried to blink them away. It was confusing, really. She’d taken much worse in the past. And now a few swats made her eyes well up.

  
Okay, _a lot_ of swats, and _painful_ ones, indeed. But Root wouldn’t cry. Definitely not because of some punishment, they hand out to five year-olds. And most definitely not in front of Sameen. The hacker knew she deserved what she was getting. She wanted to do this right, didn’t want Shaw to think she was a baby who couldn’t handle the consequences of her actions. Therefore, Root gritted her teeth, stifling her cries, while her girlfriend’s punishing blows ignited a fire on her behind.

  
Shaw didn’t waste any time lecturing Root. She’d scolded her before, and the hacker knew why she was in this position. She knew what she’d done wrong. And from her submissive behavior it was obvious that she was sorry. Nevertheless, the former ISA operative was determined to make this lesson stick.

  
Diving headfirst into danger wasn’t unfamiliar to Shaw, it was something she’d done herself many times. And she had to admit that she’d sometimes been reckless, too. She wasn’t a team player naturally. However, during her times with the Marines, and then the ISA, Sameen had learned that sometimes you had to rely on another person, to get the job done – and not to get killed in the process.

  
Sameen knew that her hacker girlfriend had been on her own most of her life. She’d done as she pleased, and she hadn’t had to justify her actions to any other person. _Well, time’s changed_ , Shaw thought while peppering her girlfriend’s backside with stinging slaps, making the woman squirm across her knee.

  
Too many times now, Root had risked her neck unnecessarily, and it was inacceptable in Shaw’s eyes. As she said a few weeks ago, they were partners now, and as a good partner – and girlfriend – Sameen would ensure that her crazy hacker would definitely think twice before pulling some dangerous stunt again. Therefore, the spanking was thorough, and forceful.

  
Despite her determination to take this punishment bravely, it hadn’t taken Root long to begin whimpering softly. Most of her body ached from the beating she took earlier on this day, and now her backside burned like fire, too. The hacker squirmed under Sameen’s arm, miserable. The next two stinging swats landed on the sensitive under-curves of her bottom, resulting in Root jerking in Sameen’s grasp, trying to push herself up out of pure instinct again.

  
“Stay down”, the ex-ISA agent hissed while pushing Root’s body back over her knee, whacking her even harder than before, the slaps echoing in their living room.

  
“I – ow – like these words more – oww – under different circumstances”, the hacker gasped out, squirming in a desperate attempt to get her bottom away from the punishing blows. Not that it worked.

  
Shaw just tightened her grip so that Root couldn’t move, and continued to deliver painful slaps to the seat of her panties. Simultaneously the Persian shook her had. _That’s just so Root. Making innuendos while getting her ass walloped_ , Sameen thought, almost chuckling. _Almost._

  
Sniffling softly, Root tried valiantly not to let the tears, which welled up in her eyes once more, turn into straight out crying. Unfortunately the experience of nearly falling to her death mixed with regret from her actions and burning pain in her backside, made her attempts to keep control of her emotions nearly impossible. By the time Shaw had started a third or fourth round, smacking on already sensitive skin, she couldn’t keep control any longer.

  
“I’m so-sorry. Sameen, please…”, the hacker sobbed out. Any ideas she had about enduring this with some semblance of dignity were long gone at this moment. God, how did she get herself into this mess? Oh, right. She’d almost died and pissed off the Persian fury.

  
No matter how much Root squirmed and whimpered, Shaw’s palm just kept landing on target, reminding her how monumentally she’d screwed this up.

  
“Ow! _Please_ …”, the hacker uttered, tears running down her face. She tried to choke back the sobs, she really does, but the effort made her chest hurt more. Finally, Root lay across Shaw’s thigh, limp and accepting – too exhausted to do anything else.

  
Shaw just hummed in response, continuing the relentless spanking, but taking care not to leave too much bruises. She knew there was a line between a deserved punishment and abuse, she wouldn’t cross. Sameen wanted to punish Root, not to cause some serious injuries.

  
A few more smacks and the hacker’s choking sobs had gone silent, her voice having given out. Root’s whole backside burned like fire and most likely was scarlet beneath the thin fabric of her boyshorts. Shaw gently rested her hand on Root’s back and held her in place as her body slightly shook from her crying.

  
The former ISA operative didn't have much experience in this kind of things, but she knew, she couldn’t just shove Root off and leave after dealing out such a thrashing. Pondering what to do for a moment, Shaw recalled one of the few spankings she got from her father as a kid. Imitating his actions, Sameen gently rubbed her girlfriend’s back with her hand in an attempt to help her calm down.

  
It took Root a minute to realize that the spanking was over and Sameen’s hand was rubbing her back in comfort, not punishing her. The hacker took several deep breaths and was finally able to regain control over her emotions. Once she’d stopped crying enough to breath regularly, even if it were quivery choppy breaths, she felt Shaw pulling her sweatpants back in place. The hacker sucked in a sharp breath when the fabric scraped across her tender bottom. Then Sameen helped her to stand, getting up to her feet herself at the same time.

  
Root looked at Shaw uncertainly when she stood up in front of her and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand sheepishly. She was slightly embarrassed that she broke down in tears. She knew Shaw hated crying, because she didn’t know how to deal with it. All the more the hacker was startled when her girlfriend reached for her face suddenly, gently brushing away a few tears with her thumb.

  
Shaw looked into Root’s wide brown eyes, still watery from crying. Standing there, looking sheepishly and well chastised, the hacker appeared much younger than she really was. The vulnerability, Root usually hid behind her flirty and somewhat psycho demeanor, showed and Shaw couldn’t deny that she felt deep affection for her crazy little hacker at that moment. Well, as deep of effection as a person with Axis II personality disorder could feel. _God, look at me. A few tears on a beautiful face and I’m turning into a softie…_

  
The former ISA operative rolled her eyes at herself. “Come here, you idiot”, she muttered, then pulled Root in for a tight hug. It was a bit awkward, because the hacker was taller than her, but Shaw was okay with it for the moment.

  
At first Root was surprised by this intimate gesture, she wasn’t accustomed with Shaw. However, after a moment the hacker melted into her girlfriend’s embrace. “Couldn’t stand to loose you”, she heard Sameen mumble, and Root was slightly shocked. Because Shaw rarely talked about her feelings. Or having feelings _at all_. So she swallowed down any witty reply she could came up with and simply nodded in response.

  
The hug only lasted a few seconds, but it was the longest Root had received from the ex-ISA agent so far, and it made her incredibly happy, despite her being completely sore at the moment. When Shaw eventually let go and stepped away from her, Root had a small grin on her face.

  
Shaw rolled her eyes again, affectionately this time. “Don’t look so smug”, she said. “If you pull a stunt like this again…”

  
Sameen didn’t have to finish her sentence for Root to know what would happen, if she got herself in such a mess again. The grin faded from the hacker’s face and she nodded in understanding, swallowing hard. “I know”, she replied, her voice slightly hoarse from crying. She really didn’t need another walloping any time soon. Well, at least not a _punishment_ one.

  
“I think you could use a good dose of sleep”, Shaw eventually said, taking in her girlfriend’s battered and exhausted state.

  
Root nodded in agreement. “Yea, I think so.” Turning to leave the living room, she glanced back at Shaw over her shoulder. “You know, maybe next time _you_ can be the sub?”

  
Root’s yelp echoed through the room as Shaw’s palm connected painfully with her already sore backside one more time.

  
_Totally worth it._

 

\----------

 

Half an hour later Shaw decided to call it a day, too. Stepping into the bedroom she stopped near the door to take in the sight in front of her. Root lay on the bed, on her stomach, her chestnut waves framing her face and cascading down her shoulders. Her eyes were closed and she was breathing evenly, seemingly in deep slumber already.

 

She may not feel emotions as deeply as other people did, but seeing her crazy little hacker like this, sleeping safe and sound – _well, except for bumps and bruises and a very sore backside_ –, Shaw felt something like happiness. Yes, she felt happy. For Root being alive and being part of _her_ life.

 

The Persian agent grabbed the comforter and pulled it over Root’s shoulders, tucking her in. Then she laid down on the other side of the bed, facing her girlfriend’s sleeping form. Reaching out with her hand, Sameen wiped a stray strand of hair away from the hacker’s face gently, careful not to wake her.

 

“You’re one crazy chick”, Shaw muttered under her breath. She sighed while slightly shaking her head. _Maybe that’s why I love you so much_ , she thought as she slowly drifted into sleep herself.


	4. Of pancakes and forgiveness

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's a nice little epilogue for all of you :) Thanks for reading! As usual, feedback is welcome! ;)

 

* * *

 

 

The next morning Root woke up with a start, still lying on her stomach. Her brain needed a few seconds to realize where she was. _In a safe place. Bedroom. Right._ The room was bathed in daylight with the sun’s rays spilling through the window and dancing on the hacker’s face. Pushing herself up onto her forearms, Root grabbed her smart phone from the nightstand and checked the time. _Almost eleven o’clock._

The bed beside her was empty, but the sheets were crumpled. Shaw had gotten up a few hours earlier probably. Turning onto her back, Root sucked in a sharp breath as her very sore backside came in contact with the mattress, reminding her of what had happened the night before.

Shaw had done quite a number on her. Having never gotten such a severe thrashing up to that point, Root was surprised how much it had hurt actually. And Sameen hadn’t even spanked her with a belt or something like that. The stinging slaps of her palm alone had been enough to reduce the hacker to a crying mess.

Root still was slightly embarrassed that she couldn’t have kept the tears at bay. In her defense, Shaw’s arms, like the rest of her body, were well-toned, and she had very capable hands. Hands, which, in Root’s opinion, could be put to better use than smacking the living daylights out of her. Not that the hacker minded a little _good girl_ spanking principally…

Hearing clattering noises from the kitchen, Root remembered what had woken her up in the first place. Sitting up carefully, the dark haired woman groaned with pain as she was, again, reminded of her sore butt. _Well, it’s not like you didn’t deserve it_ , the hacker thought, contorting her face.

At exactly this moment the Machine decided to communicate with her again. _“Analog Interface is hurt”_ , the AI stated in her ear, and Root almost laughed at the Machine’s timing.

“No shit, Sherlock”, she replied, rolling her eyes, then added, “I’m fine.” _Well, as fine as one can be after getting beaten up, almost dying, and getting thrashed on top of that._

_“I’m sorry I couldn’t be there for you and help you. Looks like there are still issues with my hardware, causing problems off and on communicating.”_

“It’s okay”, the hacker assured the AI. “You know, I’m not alone anymore.”

 _“It’s good to know, that Asset Shaw has your back”_ , the Machine simply stated, causing Root to smirk slightly.

 _Yea, and she has my backside, too_ , the hacker thought ruefully and amused at the same time.

Root gingerly got up from the bed after the Machine’s gone silent again, noticing that the rest of her body was still aching slightly as well, especially her bruised ribs. In addition to that, she could feel a small headache coming on. Which was hardly surprising considering that she’d been punched and kicked in the face. However, the pain wasn’t as bad as the day before.

Not bothering to put on fresh clothes right now, Root shuffled into the kitchen, still wearing the sweatpants and grey shirt from the night before.

“Good morning, sleepy head”, Shaw greeted her without turning around from the stove, clearly having heard her girlfriend come in.

“Morning”, Root mumbled. Then the delicious smell hit her nose and she inhaled deeply. “Pancakes?” the hacker asked, hopefully.

Sameen just hummed in response, still busy with preparing the food.

The fact that her girlfriend made pancakes made Root’s face light up with a little smile. Usually the hacker would wrap her arms around Sameen from behind now, kissing the little spot behind her left ear. The spot she knew drove the former ISA operative wild.

However, after the events of last night Root still was a little awkward around Sameen. Therefore, she decided to take a seat at the counter instead while waiting for the food to be ready.

Hesitantly the hacker lowered herself onto one of the chairs, wincing as her sore behind met the seating surface.

Shaw turned around from the stove at exactly this moment, holding a plate full of pancakes in her hand. The ex-ISA agent couldn’t help the smirk that spread across her face at seeing her girlfriend wince. “Still a bit sore, huh?”

Root looked at her sheepishly. “Yea…”

Taking in the sight of her hacker girlfriend, Shaw was pleased to notice that Root didn’t quite look as battered as the night before. The bruises on her face were visible still, but had diminished slightly.

Sameen nodded. “Good”, she stated, now a stern expression on her face, her answer causing her girlfriend to pout slightly. Ignoring the sulking look on Root’s face, she added, “Maybe this will make you think twice before you risk your life again for no fucking reason.” _I love you. And I don’t want to loose you._

The hacker hummed in response, avoiding Sameen’s glare, looking at the counter’s surface in front of her instead. _I messed up, I know. Please, don’t be mad anymore…_

The smaller woman sighed. “Root, look at me.”

Swallowing, the hacker looked up, light brown eyes meeting darker ones.

“I want to clarify one thing. As I said yesterday, if you pull a stunt like that again, I’ll make sure that you’ll be _extremely_ sorry. And _if_ I have to punish you because of your stupidity, then be assured that it won’t be just my hand walloping your sorry ass next time.” _I’ll do_ anything _to make sure you stay alive._ Sameen raised her brows a little bit and looked at her girlfriend pointedly. “Understood?”

Root just gaped at Shaw for a moment and couldn’t help the heat that flooded her cheeks at the thought of Sameen spanking her again. After all, she _did_ like a little pain. Therefore, the very idea of being bent over her girlfriend’s leg again sent a jolt straight to the hacker’s groin. It was confusing, really, because last night she had been positive that she didn’t need another smacking anytime soon. _Well, at least not a_ punishment _one…_

However, the spanking Sameen threatened her with _would_ be for punishment, _not_ for fun, Root reminded herself, causing the heat in her lower belly to lessen slightly. _Slightly_. Because, why did Sameen had to look so sexy being all stern and commanding? _It’s really not fair._

Root swallowed. She wasn’t submissive by nature. And she wasn’t someone who you would call a glutton for punishment, in the strict sense of the word, despite her liking of pain. _Shaw on the other side…_ Well, let’s just say they found out who was the top in their relationship pretty fast. At least during their bedroom activities.

Root loved the power she had over Sameen, but even more, she loved the fact, that the tiny Persian trusted her enough to allow it. It was astonishing _how much_ Shaw trusted her actually. And it weren’t just the things she let her do in the bedroom. _No._ It was the fact that Shaw was still working with her, despite their kind of rocky history. And, on top of that, the fact that Sameen had broken her no-relationship rule just for her.

Root wasn’t stupid. She knew that trust, _real_ trust, wasn’t a one-way road. Or at least it shouldn’t be. She knew that she kind of broke Shaw’s trust by going all lone wolf when she didn’t have to. She couldn’t deny that she felt guilty about it. Sameen being disappointed with her was something Root couldn’t bear. _God, I’m so whipped._

Being aware of her own reckless nature, Root knew that a repetition of yesterday’s events wasn’t completely unlikely. And maybe it was Shaw’s right to smack some sense into her afterwards. She wouldn’t say it out loud, but the hacker would do _anything_ to earn her girlfriend’s forgiveness. Maybe that’s why she was agreeing to this whole domestic discipline scenario, nodding her head.

“Understood”, Root replied eventually.

Shaw gave a short nod. “Good.” She put the plate down on the counter in front of her girlfriend. “Clean slate. Now eat.”

The hacker eyed the pile of pancakes on the plate. “Were you trying to feed a whole platoon?” she asked, while taking one pancake, smiling slightly.

Shaw rolled her eyes, good-natured. “I have to eat something, too, you know”, the former ISA operative replied while taking a seat at the counter, opposite to Root, and shoveling a few pancakes on her own plate.

For a few minutes both of them were munching on the delicious food in comfortable silence.

“She’s been talking to me, earlier”, Root eventually said. She didn’t have to explain whom she meant by _‘She’_.

Shaw raised her brows. “A new number?”

“No.” The hacker shook her head. “She just apologized for not being there when needed.” She sighed. “Seems like Harry and I have to solve a few more issues.”

“Yeah, but not today”, Sameen said while getting up and clearing the table.

Root furrowed her brows. “But we have to-”

“No”, the former ISA agent cut her off. “Like I said, not today”, she added, more gently. “Reese called me this morning. Think he wanted to make sure that I didn’t kill you.” She shrugged. “I told him that you’re pretty banged up and need a day off.”

 _A day off doesn’t sound too bad…_ “And Harold’s okay with it?” the hacker asked, her brows drawing together.

Sameen shrugged her shoulders again. “Didn’t have much of a choice, did he?”

Root smiled at that, then asked, “And… does a certain good looking asset have a day off, too?” _Please say yes…_

“Well, as long as there isn’t a new number…” Shaw moved around to the front of the counter so that she stood directly in front of the hacker, forcing her to look up at her. “I’ve to make sure you’re getting better after all, right?” she explained with a slight smirk and a seductive look in her eyes, wiping a stray strand of hair away from Root’s face with gentle fingers.

The hacker hummed affirmatively, being in much better spirits than she has when she first walked into the room, as Sameen drew her in for a passionate kiss. Breaking the touch of their lips for a moment, Root grinned broadly. “You know, there’s _one_ nice way to make me feel better pretty damn quick.”

 

THE END

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